Making Safeguarding Personal Toolkit

Practice Tool 5: Six core principles – ‘I’ statements You can use this tool from ‘What might good like for advocacy?’ (ADASS & LGA, 2017) as a check list with a person involved in safeguarding and to inform the ways in which professionals communicate with people about safeguarding.

| **Empowerment:** People being supported and encouraged to make their own decisions and informed consent. | ‘I am asked what I want as the outcomes from the safeguarding process and these directly inform what happens.’ | | --- | --- | | **Prevention:** It is better to take action before harm occurs. | ‘I receive clear and simple information about what abuse is, how to recognise the signs and what I can do to seek help.’ | | **Proportionality:** The least intrusive response appropriate to the risk presented. | ‘I am sure that the professionals will work in my interest, as I see them and they will only get involved as much as needed.’ | | **Protection:** Support and representation for those in greatest need. | ‘I get help and support to report abuse and neglect. I get help so that I am able to take part in the safeguarding process to the extent to which I want.’ | | **Partnership:** Local solutions through services working with their communities. Communities have a part to play in preventing, detecting and reporting neglect and abuse. | ‘I know that staff treat any personal and sensitive information in confidence, only sharing what is helpful and necessary. I am confident that professionals will work together and with me to get the best result for me.’ | | **Accountability:** Accountability and transparency in delivering safeguarding. | ‘I understand the role of everyone involved in my life and so do they.’ |

This tool, based on the six core safeguarding principles (DH, 2018, s4.13), is adapted from ADASS & LGA (2017: 26) MSP: What might good look like for advocacy: [www.tiny.cc/MSP-advocacy](http://www.tiny.cc/MSP-advocacy) Top Tips: Promoting Safeguarding

Maintain a stance of curiosity and stepping outside of institutionalised frameworks and procedures from time to time. Be able to deconstruct any stereotypes or conditions that are preventing expression and engagement with the person’s own voice. Where there are tensions and conflicts, be active in bringing these to the attention of those able to challenge and reduce barriers or unhelpful culture for involvement.

Use narrative and ‘I’ statements (as illustrated on previous page) to increase communication and user-led meaning-making alongside provision of appropriate support for communication and participation. This might involve:

> key people in the person’s life; providing support to attend and participate in meetings; holding meetings in places more familiar which suit the person; providing accessible records; allocating time and establishing a climate of trust; relationship-based practice; and training everyone, including administrative staff, to support a more open climate.

Take shared responsibility for exploring and managing risk with people and, where appropriate, appoint an advocate to help people understand their rights in the context of the harm itself, safeguarding procedures, interventions and the individual’s rights in relation to these (Sherwood-Johnson, 2016).

‘Top tips and pointers for good practice’ from: Trish Hafford Letchfield and Sarah Carr (2017) ‘Promoting safeguarding’ Chapter 5 in Cooper A and White E (Eds) (2017: 105-106) Safeguarding Adults under the Care Act 2014: Understanding Good Practice. London & Philadelphia: Jessica Kingsley